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Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Knock Knock It's Jehovah

Pick any town, in any country, on a Saturday morning and you will find Jehovah Witnesses preaching on doorsteps. Actually it only happens between 9AM and 12PM. Armed with the Watchtower and Awake! magazines and a copy of their Bible the Jehovah Witnesses go door to door preaching their version of the 'good word'.

In all reality they don't preach the 'good word'. They never really have. It has all been doom and gloom since they first predicted Armageddon is upon us all in 1874. This is their first mistake. Nobody, well nobody in their right mind, wants to be told the world is going to end; especially on a Saturday morning. It kind of puts a downer on the whole weekend.

Never have I, personally, opened the door to be greeted by a happy Jehovah Witness. To be honest most of the Jehovah Witnesses appear as though they dropped out of some 'funeral home school', And every time you answer the door it is more or less the same dialogue.

JW: Good morning; and how are you?Me: Pretty good thanks; and yourselves?JW: Fine thank you.Me: So what can I do for you today?JW: The world that we know is coming to an end. Armageddon is upon us.Me: Today?JW: Not today. But soon.Me: How soon is soon?JW: Real soon. Look around. It is just like the Bible said. Jehovah will soon be setting up his kingdom and the 144,000 will go to Heaven.Me: Only 144,000?JW: Yes; they go to Heaven and the rest of us, that are saved, live on Earth.Me: Let me get this straight. Since the beginning of time, your Jehovah is going to pick 144,000 special people out of the billions that have ever lived?JW: That is right. The lucky ones will be chosen to go to Heaven with Jehovah.Me: And everyone else gets shafted?JW: No. The saved will live in Paradise on Earth.Me: With 144,000 elitists looking down their noses at everyone else?JW: It isn't like that.Me: Let me stop you there pal. Didn't Jesus himself say something about whoever is a master shall be a servant; and whoever is a servant is a master?JW: Well yes. I think you'll find the scripture reference you are referring to is (thumbs through Bible) Matthew 10, verse 24, which says "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his lord."Me: Actually I was thinking of Luke 6, verse 40, which says "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." Which to me infers that Jesus himself is saying that nobody is better than the next; we all put our trousers on one leg at a time so to speak.JW: Yes. Sort of. It comes down to treat others as you would wish to be treated.Me: With that in mind isn't the idea of a 'council' of 144,000 somewhat against the teachings of Jesus?JW: No. It is how Jehovah, not Jesus, wants things.Me: Surely whatever Jesus wanted was what God wanted seems Jesus, God, the whole trinity. Actually forget that. Seems you interrupted my Saturday morning let me ask you a couple of questions.JW: Sure.Me: Where does the Bible, yours or any other version, specifically mention blood transfusions; and not merely eating or drinking blood?JW: Well ...Me: Hang on. I'll give you question two also. Where does the Bible, once again yours or any other version, mention shunning family members; specifically your mother or father. Not using the references of Paul that clearly, when reading the entire chapter, refer to shunning the Antichrist. And; surely the idea of shunning a disfellowshipped parent truly breaks the commandment of 'honor thy mother and father'. So, therefore by practising, and preaching, disfellowshipping you are in fact preaching something which goes against God, or Jehovah, himself. Does this not mean that all Jehovah Witnesses are actually apostates?JW: Um. Look. Here are your magazines. We don't want no trouble. We have many doors to knock on and so little time. If you would like to discuss those points maybe you would like to study with the Jehovah Witnesses. The number is in the back of the magazine.Me: I'm good thanks.JW: Well, we will be going. Jehovah be with you.Me: So no answers to my questions? And we never even got to discuss Lilith being Adam's first wife, the spear of destiny, Charles Russel being in the Illuminati, or Jesus being on a cross.JW: Got to go.Me: Thanks for nothing.

That is the biggest problem with the Jehovah Witnesses. They are programmed to believe what they spout; and never to question it. It doesn't matter how many scripture quotes you can show them that proves a point; they will never question anything. They can't. Any Jehovah Witness that questions anything is classed, by the elders and the governing body, as an apostate and disfellowshipped. Which works out nicely; because it means the remaining Jehovah Witnesses cannot talk to the disfellowshipped one and hear their side.

Disfellowshipping is just one of the things which the Jehovah Witnesses practice, and believe, that has no scriptural justification whatsoever. The justification for their beliefs comes from the Watchtower; and the governing body in Bethel.

There are loads of questions you you can ask the Jehovah Witnesses when they knock at your door. Here are just a few:

1. What scripture forbids blood transfusions; yet allows dialysis? (Be prepared here. They will usually quote Genesis 9:4 and Deuteronomy 12:23; both of which pertain to eating blood. No mention whatsoever of a blood transfusion in a medical setting.)

2. Where in scripture, does either God or Jesus suggest shunning family members in the way that the Jehovah Witnesses practice disfellowshipping? (The quotes they will use are 2John 1:10 (which is actually talking about the Antichrist), 1Corinthians 5:1-13 (which suggests limiting association with Christians that practice wrongdoing not strict shunning).) To be prepared to argue this point use the following passages: Exodus 20:12 (One of the commandments),Matthew 15:4 (honor they mother and father - die if you don't), and Mark 7:10 (honor they mother and father).

3. Isn't the idea of trying to predict Armageddon in 1874, 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975 completely against what Jesus taught? (to back up your argument use Matthew 24:36-39 which states 'no man knows the day or hour' and 'And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' clearly stating nobody will know until it happens). You could go as far as to mentioning false prophets at this point and using 2Peter 2:1 as an example.

4. In disfellowshipping the elders are called a "Judicial Committee". Surely this judging by men is completely against God and Jesus. Jesus even said in John 8:7 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone'? (There is no defense for this one. I have seen many a Jehovah Witness stumble and flounder like a fish over this question. But if they require further evidence from scripture throw Luke 6:36-37 at them which says 'Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:'.

There are many other questions that prove that the Jehovah Witnesses are not exactly Christians. Actually, ask any of the major Christian religions and they will tell you the Jehovah Witnesses are nothing more than a cult.

Ah Pascal's wager (For those reading along is basically the theory it is better to bet there is a God rather than go with atheism) It is a great theory. But it merely is a theory.

I'm not a true atheist. I don't believe in any of the Gods put forth by religion purely because throughout history it has been proven that religions alter 'the facts' to suit their own agenda. But do I think that everything around us was created by some big bang; an accident? No. Something created it all but what I have no clue. Yes, this kind of throws me into the agnostic category sort of but it is not about there not being a God, without proof, it is more that religion has skewed the whole view of God.

I class myself as an atheist (sort of) simply because I feel whatever created the earth has given up. It would be like Da Vinci painting a masterpiece; and while still alive allowing someone to ruin it. If you created the earth, and everything in it, would you allow one species to do so much damage to your creation at the detrimental cost of the other species?

So I take the stand that there may be a God. Something definitely created everything. But what created everything I have no clue. And as of yet no religion has met my expectations of what a religion should be.